Electrochemically Driven Refrigeration Based on Dissolution–Crystallization Cycle of Redox‐Active Salts

Abstract

Developing energy‐efficient and environmentally sustainable refrigeration technologies is critically important for mitigating climate change. Here, we report an electrochemically driven dissolution–crystallization refrigeration cycle (EDCR), a liquid‐state electrochemical cooling concept in which cooling is generated by the endothermic dissolution of electrochemically regenerated redox‐active salts. Unlike conventional electrochemical refrigeration, where the cooling effect arises directly from endothermic redox reactions and is therefore partly offset by Joule heating, EDCR spatially separates electrochemical regeneration from dissolution‐based cooling. The EDCR achieves a maximum temperature drop of 5.65 K and a maximum coefficient of performance of up to 15.51 under ideal condition without heat loss, corresponding to a relative Carnot efficiency of 29.8% at room temperature. This proof‐of‐concept study establishes EDCR as a promising hydrofluorocarbon‐free refrigeration strategy and provides a new route for exploring liquid‐state electrochemical cooling cycle.